It was a particularly long but ultimately enjoyable day of baseball at Fenway Park as the Red Sox beat the Rays 5-1 and 3-1 in a day-night doubleheader. With the pair of victories, Boston (44-29 overall, 23-14 home) is a mind-blowing 9-2 against Tampa Bay (36-35 overall, 15-19 away) this season. So the Red Sox own the Rays and the Orioles own the Red Sox in 2013, got it?
Alfredo Aceves (4-1) had another good spot start in the first game before the rain came. After a 2:59 rain delay, Boston extended its 4-1 lead with an RBI triple by Shane Victorino (2 hits, 2 runs, stolen base) in the sixth inning. Jacoby Ellsbury (3 hits, 3 runs) had tripled before Victorino's three-base hit.
The Red Sox never trailed in the first game as Dustin Pedroia had a sacrifice fly in the first inning. Crazy Luke Scott tied it with an RBI double in the second inning but David Ortiz answered with a two-run single in the third then an RBI single in the fifth.
Aceves didn't return after the rain delay (obviously) so Junichi Tazawa, Andrew Miller, Koji Uehara and Craig Breslow each pitched in with a scoreless frame for Boston.
Game 2 was the Felix Doubront show with appearances by Daniel Nava and Jonny Gomes. Doubront pitched the best (and longest) game of his MLB career: 8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts and 0 walks. At 93 pitches, it was surprising when Red Sox manager John Farrell lifted him for closer Andrew Bailey (3-0). Predictably, Bailey blew his third save of the season on Kelly Johnson's solo homer.
No problem, Nava walked to start the bottom of the ninth against Joel Peralta (1-3) which set the stage for a two-run walk-off homer by Gomes (his 5th of the season) over the Monster. Nava's solo homer in the second, his 10th of the season, looked like it might be the only run.
David Ross (concussion) went on the 7-day DL and Clay Buchholz (neck) was placed on the 15-day DL so catcher Ryan Lavarnway and reliever Alex Wilson were called up from Pawtucket. Tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as we all get ready for Game 4 of Stanley Cup Final, Ryan Dempster (4-7) opposes Jeremy Hellickson (4-3) in the series finale.
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